Diagnostic methods and criteria of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome in children

Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), which is a common childhood disease, is a trending topic in clinical multidisciplinary research due to its detriment to the growth and development of children. Due to the wide variety and specificity of pathogenesis and clinical manifestations, the clinical diagnosis of OSAHS is sophisticated and difficult and remains controversial in the field. This review summarizes the common diagnostic methods in OSAHS for children, including polysomnography,which is known as the current "gold standard", pulse oximetry, fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy, nasopharyngeal lateral X-ray, CT, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Furthermore, it emphasizes the new diagnostic critical value from Chinese guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in children (2020) for children with OSAHS released by China in 2020: the obstructive apnea hypopnea index (OAHI) is ≥ 1 time/h; it also emphasizes the importance of history and physical examination to contribute to clinical diagnosis and treatment for children with OSAHS.